A new survey conducted by the Nutrition
Society of Nigeria has revealed that one in every three Nigerian women
suffers from iron deficiency.
According to the NSN President, Prof.
Ngozi Nnam, who spoke at a briefing organised by Unilever Nigeria, the
survey also estimated that about 49 per cent of women of reproductive
age have anaemia, 24.3 per cent have low iron levels, while 12.7 per
cent of them are iron-deficient.
Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition
in which the red blood cells or their oxygen-carrying capacity is
insufficient to meet physiological needs of the body. Its symptoms
include, fatigue, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness and shortage of
breath.
Nnam said though many health conditions
cause anaemia, evidence has shown that 50 per cent of the cases are due
to iron deficiency; while adolescent girls and pregnant women are the
most susceptible.
“Pregnant women, teenage girls and women
of reproductive age are among the most vulnerable to iron deficiency
anaemia because they need a lot of iron. Increasing iron intake during
adolescence, preparatory to pregnancy, is crucial to decreasing the risk
of iron deficiency anaemia and negative birth outcomes.
She called for national policy that would ensure that many foods produced and consumed in the country are fortified with iron.
On the survey sponsored by Unilever, Dr.
Folake Samuel, said preliminary research findings show that although
many Nigerian women are aware of the benefits of eating iron rich-foods,
many of them do not eat it.
Samuel said, “Nigeria has many foods
that are rich in iron; however, the consumption of iron- rich foods is
still low and this calls for action and intervention.
“As such, a significant proportion of
the women frequently experience various symptoms of iron deficiency.
Many mistake a woman looking pale as a sign of pregnancy, not knowing
that it is an indicator of the fact that she is anaemic,” she said.
The Hygiene and Nutrition Social Mission
Director, Africa, Unilevers, Myriam Sidibe, said the programme was to
sensitise the public on the importance of iron nutrients.
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